BATTERING BARDIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 December 1940, Page 7

BATTERING BARDIA

BRITISH PRESSURE INCREASED

ITALIANS RESIGNED TO LOSS

MOPPING-UP OPERATIONS

[by cable.— press assn.—copyright.]

LONDON, December 29. A communique issued by General Headquarters in Cairo says: “The concentration of our forces investing Bardia is proceeding smoothly, while our artillery continues to harass the .Italian garrison. Operations by our "mobile detachments to clear the country to the west are proceeding. “Prisoners counted to date since the beginning of operations in the Western Desert now number 38,114, of whom 24,845 are Italian officers and other ranks. Four more guns have been captured south of Bardia. On the frontiers of the Sudan and Kenya our patrols have again been active.” . : While the two divisions of Italians in the seaport base are using up irrcplacable ammunition in reply to the British bombardment, now British guns have been brought up to intensify the battering of the town. Two 13-inch guns manned by naval gunners support the field artillery. A continuous stream of heavy tanks and guns is moving up. The fall of Bardia seems now to be accepted as inevitable by Fascist authorities. Signor Ansaldo, editor of “11 Telegrafo” and a prominent Fascist, is now declaring that Bardia is in no sense the bastion the Italians claimed it was some days ago, and says it is no more than a prop and a stay.

An army officer told a correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain: “We could go in and taKe Paj-dia now, but that would probably cost a good many lives so we are keeping hammering at them. When we get more tanks up we will get them out of their holes without much trouble.” Thousands of Italians are now feverishly engaged in throwing up new fortifications at Tobruk, about 60 miles west of Bardia, where the Italians evidently hope to make a second stand when Bardia falls.

Italian prisoners now say the stand is being made at Bardia on direct orders from Signor Mussolini, who demands that the base be held at all costs.' Some of the Italian forces holding the base were actually falling back on Tobrud when the order came to halt them.

A comipunique issued by Royal Air Force Headquarters in the Middle East states: “There was little activity in the Western Desert on Friday. A number of reconnaissances were made and our fighters maintained active offensive patrols without, however, engaging any enemy aircraft.

“In Italian East Africa, Assab was raided by our bombers, bombs straddling military stores and a large transport yard., •/•*••• • ’ “Infthe Kassala region, the -Rhodesian squadron. carried out bombing and machine-gunning attacks on enemy positions. The bombs fell in the target area. The full extent of the ' damage and casualties is not known. “Near Gedaref, in the Sudan, fighters of a South African squadron intercepted two Fiat Cr 42 fighters, one of which was shot down in flames. “All our aeroplanes returned safe-

ly-” s . . ■An earlier communique issued by the Royal Air Force Middle East Command records the fact that one squadron of British eight-gun fighters has accounted for 24 Italian machines, and perhaps 12 more, since the start of the desert campaign. An Italian communique says: “There is artillery activity on the Bardia front. One of our lightning columns, in conjunction with the air force, destroyed an enemy mechanised detachment and captured the crews.”

SURRENDER—OR DIE.

(Recd. Dec. 30, Noon). LONDON, December 29. ’ The steel ring is steadily drawing tighter around Bardia, says the “Sun-

day Express” Cairo correspondent. The garrison of 20,000 men is completely trapped, and must surrender or be slaughtered. The British Army blocks the land routes out of the town, and the Fleet blocks the sea entrances. Nightly, the Fleet pours in highexplosive and fire-bombs. The harbour district and the waterfront is now a shambles. Added to all this is the continuous bombing of the R.A.F.

SUDAN PATROLS.

RUGBY, December 29., A Cairo G.H.Q. communique states: In the Bardia area of Libya, our artillery has’again been active, with comparatively little response from the Italian garrison. v , In the Sudan, south-east of Kassala, our patrols, supported by artillery, have successfully harassed the enemy.

MORE ITALIAN PLANES LOST.

RUGBY, December 29. An R.A.F. communique, issued at Cairo, states: On the night of December 26, several R.A.F. aircraft carried out raids on Tobruk. Fires were started, but the full extent of the damage was not observed. Our fighters maintained active offensive patrols, during one of which a large formation of enemy bombers, escorted by fighters, was encountered. In the ensuing engagement, one 579 and one CR32 were shot down. One CR42 was probably destroyed, and four other S79’s were damaged, and may not have reached their base. Solium was bombed by the enemy, but only slight damage was caused.

ITALIAN DISSENSIONS.

" CREMONA, December 28. Signor Roberto Farinaci, speaking at a Fascist meeting, attacked certain old men and “hysterical old gossips” for attempting to poison Italian public opinion. He said that “any undermining of the national framework is a. crime—rather real treason —against the soldiers who are fighting for an Axis ’ victory. Vigilance against these persons must not be relaxed, but all this can be halted if staunch Fascists know how to act effectively at the opportune moment. If, yesterday, we could suffer certain persons, to-day we can’t.”

BOLSTERING MORALE

RUGBY, December 29. Agency news messages show that neutral correspondents in Rome are now receiving hints from official circles there, of important developments of a decisive nature, in the very near future, and they report that the Italian public is being persuaded to expect some early favourable move, to offset the recent Italian defeats. A German attack on Britain is promised for early in the New Year. The Italian newspapers are telling their readers that the attack will take place in a surprise form, and that many new secret weapons will be used. This last touch is recognised here as a familiar formula in the war of nerves.

MECCA PILGRIMS.

LONDON, December 29. ■ The Egyptians are so satisfied with the results of the fighting that at least 1,500 persons have made arrangeinents for the pilgrimage to Mecca. The first batch has already sailed.